Darren Shan - Procession of the dead

She shrugged softly and rose. "I do not know what is happening, but only two people apart from you ever spoke of the people the rest of us had apparently forgotten-Conchita, who went mad, and your Y Tse, who has disappeared." She bent and kissed my forehead. "Dorry's world is darker and deeper than even I can imagine. Be careful, Capac."

I stared at her as she walked away, my head spinning. This was getting crazier all the time. I wanted to sit and pick at the puzzle all day but I had an appointment to keep. The Cardinal had summoned me the night before. I'd already kept him waiting and I knew he wouldn't be too happy about that. I'd hoped to clear my head before I faced him, but that evidently wasn't going to happen and there was no point delaying our meeting any longer. Pushing my chair back, I went to find Thomas and told him to drive me to Party Central.

The green fog was smothering the city again, so it took us longer than usual to get there. Ford Tasso was coming out of the building as I headed in. He grabbed my arm and jerked me to a halt. "Where the hell have you been?" he roared. "He's seething like the fucking Antichrist! Nobody stands up The Cardinal. What the fuck were you thinking?"

"I had other things on my mind," I said.

"You…?" He gawked at me but I didn't care.

"Do you want to drag me up to make it look like you tracked me down?"

He shook his head. "Just get the fuck up there quick as you can."

I took my time checking in my shoes-little rebel that I was-then took the elevator and paused outside his door. The secretary was eyeing me wickedly, ruffling her papers. I didn't care. After what he'd done to Conchita, I thought the bastard deserved a bit of comeback. I waited until I heard the secretary grinding her teeth, then knocked once and entered.

The Cardinal was prowling in front of the window like a bull. He even snorted when he saw me. "Well, Mr. Raimi," he growled, "you finally decided to grace me with your presence. I hope I haven't torn you away from anything important?"

I opened my mouth and let the words flow without thinking. "I'm late. Live with it." Then I sat.

The Cardinal stared at me flatly, then closed his eyes and rubbed the lids with his fingers. "Are you testing me, Mr. Raimi? Do you want to know how far you can push me before I snap?"

"No. I just don't have any sorry excuses to offer. I couldn't come until now. That's the end of the matter as far as I'm concerned."

He opened his eyes and scowled. "I've killed men for looking at me crooked. Why should I let you get away with insolence like this?"

It was probably a rhetorical question but I began to answer it. "Because you want me to be your…" Then I stopped, thinking I'd gone too far.

The Cardinal cocked his head. "To be my successor?" he said mockingly.

"Maybe," I said softly, deciding to push it now that the issue had been raised.

"You really think I'd choose you ahead of men I've known for decades, who've proven their loyalty a hundred times over?"

"Maybe," I said again, a whisper this time.

"Are you loyal?" he asked.

I thought of Ama Situwa. "When it suits me."

"A strange answer. But I like it." He smiled suddenly, startling me. "Yes, Mr. Raimi, I've singled you out as a possible heir." My heart rate shot up but he raised a cautionary finger before I got too excited. "But I hope to live a long time yet and others will undoubtedly come along. Plus there are several who already have a strong claim. Don't get carried away. I'm not about to hand the reins over anytime soon, certainly not to one so immature. We'll see how you progress over the next decade. If you're still going strong, if you still want it, we'll talk about it then."

"Of course I'll want it," I said.

"Don't be too sure. The man who replaces me must be cruel, heartless, self-centered. He must live for and love nothing more than this empire. Is there anybody you would die for, a mother, sister… friend? "

"Yes," I answered shortly, thinking of Conchita, maybe Ama too. "There is."

"In the end," he said softly, "you'll have to betray that person. If you hope to replace me, you'll have to learn to let go of those you love. Can you do that, Mr. Raimi, sacrifice those you are closest to, renounce your humanity and become a monster like me?"

I thought about it for a full minute before I answered. "I don't know."

"One day," he said, "you'll find out. On that day you'll learn if you are fit to succeed me." His eyes flickered as he added bitterly, "Pray for your soul's sake that you are not."

We discussed business after that. I told him about my deal with Reed, how I'd used his daughter to seal it. The Cardinal was worried I might have threatened her, but I assured him it had been aboveboard.

"He believed you could persuade her to marry you?" he asked incredulously.

"Who knows-it might prove to be the truth."

The Cardinal grinned wickedly. "Pursuing romance so soon after my warning about getting involved with people?"

I shrugged. "Like you said, it'll be a decade before I get anywhere. Why not have a little fun in the interim?"

We talked more about the future. He outlined the route he expected me to travel. A few more months in the insurance line, then a year or so with his legal team, learning everything there was to know about the law, "or at least enough to fake it." After that I'd be free to flit between one area of the company and another, feel my way around, find my niche, specialize or generalize as I saw best. He said no man worth his salt could be led about by the nose. I'd be guided while I was learning the basics, but after that I was on my own.

It was a magical meeting. He addressed me like an equal. Clapped me on the back and beamed as he poured drinks. Expounded on his long-term plans and investment ideas. Talked briefly of his national strategy, pinpointing the fields he dominated and those he needed to expand into. His international dreams were a long way from fruition. He didn't think he'd live to see the day when his men ruled the global economy and appointed or dismissed political leaders as they saw fit. But he was sure that day would come.

He said his heir would have the freedom of the world. He'd confined himself to the city because you had to be a big fish in a small pond before you could be a shark in a sea. He'd been tempted to leave, to branch out and gamble, but that would have meant spreading himself too thin, leaving himself open to attack from too many quarters.

"A true dreamer must be prepared to make any sacrifice for his dream," he said. "Even if it means sacrificing himself. The dream must be everything."

Near the end of his speech he left to use the toilet. I took the opportunity to examine the room a little more closely. If- when I took over I'd have to make a lot of changes. It was too bare. A few plants and paintings would do wonders. More computers and telephones. And those puppets would go straightaway.

I walked to one of the walls and studied the miniature people, smiling condescendingly. Every man has his own particular folly. The Cardinal, a builder of empires, destroyer of men, would-be ruler of the world… and here he was with a load of childish toys. Why do even the greatest of men have…

I stopped dead, my train of thought dissolving.

Adrian's face was staring back at me.

I took a step away, blinking. When I focused again, it was still there. I moved closer, took down the model and studied it carefully. It was a tiny Adrian, perfect in every detail. I turned it around, amazed. The maker had even known that Adrian's left ear was slightly smaller than his right.

I edged along, clutching the puppet, looking for other familiar faces on the walls. And there they were. Leonora. Y Tse.

Me.

The toy Capac Raimi was as carefully constructed as the Adrian. I examined the hands and found slender fingerprints. I tried comparing them to my own but I'd have needed a magnifying glass.